Tips to have pretty looking nails

Your nails determine how beautiful your hands look. Well kept, clean and healthy nails make your fingers look shapely and pretty. A manicure every now and then at a professional salon or nail spa is a great way to keep your nails looking hale and hearty but if a visit to a salon is a rare luxury for you, there are plenty of tricks and tips to do at home and still have beautiful nails.

For starters, keep yourself hydrated at all times. No matter how many times you have heard this tip, the truth is we all have way less water than required and water is the basic necessity for great looking skin, hair and nails. So fill up your bottles and keep at your work desk or by the bedside.

While drinking water is essential for happy nails, exposing them to water and soap for long periods makes them dry and brittle. So wear gloves while washing or scrubbing away.

Leave a simple hand scrub by the sink which you can use each time you finish doing your dishes. Mix a little salt granules and some olive oil. Take some on your hand and scrub your hand and fingers with this scrub. The salt granules whilst dissolving, scrub away the dead cells while the olive oil moisturises and softens your hands and nails. Coconut, Castor or Almond oil works too. If you find salt too abrasive, you can use sugar granules too.

Once a week take a little olive oil in a bowl and dip your nails in it for 10 mins while listening to your favourite album. This helps strengthen your nails and replenishes lost moisture.

Use a proper nail polish remover to remove nail polish. Acetone is harsh and dries out your nails, rendering them brittle.

Never use your nails to open tin cans or scratch off a label. Doing this may damage your nails or even break them.

Lessen the usage of alcohol or chemical based sanitizes which dry out your nails.

If you have thin or weak nails, keeping them short would avoid breakage and help them strengthen before you wear them long.

A diet rich in almonds, oats, pumpkin seeds, greens, squash, sweet potatoes, avocados and berries is a sure shot way to healthy nails.

If your nails look pale or discoloured, use baking soda to whiten them.

For some days every few weeks, go nail polish free. This lets your nails breathe and prevents them from going yellow.

Applying a hand and cuticle cream and leaving it overnight is a great way to strong, healthy nails.

Toe nails require way more care than hands as they tend to get dirtier. So clean your toe nails well with soap and warm water and then moisturise them with olive oil or, a good foot cream. Wearing socks at night after moisturizing your nails leaves them soft and nourished by morning. Choose lighter shades of polish for your feet. They make your feet look cleaner and dainty.

Lastly if you bite or pick your nails, that's a habit you must try and get rid off immediately. Try the 21 day rule which says it takes 21 days to get rid of any habit. Apply nail polish on your nails so you don't feel like biting them or distract yourself every time the urge to bite your nail strikes. Stick a picture of pretty hands and nails on your mirror. This will motivate you to resist temptation and reach your goal.

With all the above tips, nailing the art of beautiful hands and nails cannot be easier.

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